Share

Written by

Hans Riegel, chief executive of the German confectionary company Haribo, died of heart failure today at the age of 90 in Bonn, according to a statement from the company. Riegel, along with his brother Paul, built the small candy company founded by their father—also named Hans—in 1920 into a global sweets powerhouse after World War II. (Fun fact: Haribo was chosen as a name by crunching together the first sounds in the words HAns RIegel and BOnn) Here’s a brief timeline on the history of the company’s iconic gummi bears.

1920 — Haribo is founded by Hans Riegel in Bonn. According to legend the original company’s capital included a sack of sugar, a marble slab, a stove and a kettle.